Forever, Foster (A Sokeefe Story)

His Beautiful Smile

A/N I updated these two parts separately because I realized after I wrote them that they actually feel like two individual chapters. 

Sooner or later, Willow found herself lost. The palace was much bigger than she had thought and it was beginning to scare her a little bit. Willow wandered through a few more hallways and finally came to a door that led outside. At this point, she was hopelessly lost and claustrophobic. Even though each room was huge, Willow couldn't help but feel that the walls were closing in.

The night air was cool and crisp and it felt amazing on Willow's skin. She almost felt at home with the well groomed grass between her toes. She wandered a little through the gardens, going deeper and deeper until she finally came to a small secreted garden on the premises of the palace's property.

The garden was absolutely beautiful, Willow could tell even in the darkness. There was a fountain in the center and trees along the outside. After a series of long yawns, Willow realized she was too tired to find her way back into her room. Besides, it was so much nicer outside. Willow pulled her coat tighter around herself and leaned up against one of the trees which was much softer than she had anticipated. However, Willow couldn't care less about how soft the tree was because her sleep deprivation had caught up to her and she couldn't even see clearly.

Soon she was sleeping.

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Willow was awoken by a low chuckle. She blearily rubbed her eyes and slowly adjusted to her surroundings. She remembered going outside at night... wandering around... finding the garden... sleeping on the abnormally soft-

"I know I'm hot, but I really didn't expect to sleep with one of the Selected until at least the third day!" Willow let out a strangled cry and scrambled away from the tree which she now saw was actually a young man. More specifically, Prince Logan. Her jaw fell slack and for a moment Willow just stared at him.

He smirked.

She blushed.

He winked.

She blushed harder.

He raised an eyebrow.

She caught herself. "I, um, I'm Willow. I'm one of the selected... which you already know-"

"What were you doing outside? You do know it's against the rules right? Now, I'm not saying that I don't like rule breakers, in fact, I actually find that quality to be quite attractive, but you don't look like a rule breaker."

Willow was still waking up, generally a side effect of this for Willow was being overly confident without thinking of consequences. So, instead of answering his questions, Willow challenged him, "Then are you saying I'm not attractive?"

Prince Logan smirked, then said, "You do realize you just talked back to the soon to be king right?"

"What's the worst you can do? I mean, I don't think executing the queen would make you look very good... not that you really need help on that front or anything." Nope. Now she was up. Willow blushed scarlet and hid behind her hair. Then Willow cringed, realizing again what she had said.

And then that she had broken the rules.

She had broken the rules and Prince Logan had found her.

"Omigosh- I'm so sorry your highness, I shouldn't have left the palace. Is there any way you could forgive me?" Willow bowed to him, hoping for a redeemal. However, when she finally looked up, she saw that the smirk Logan had been wearing turned into a frown. This confused Willow, he was the stuck up prince she saw on the television, didn't he want girls begging at his feet? Maybe Leah was right, maybe he wanted her to talk back at him.

Willow opened her mouth again, and Logan's face lit up a little, she was about to joke at her previous. Then she stopped. Leah couldn't be right, she had never experienced love. Although, Willow couldn't help but notice that Logan's face fell again.

"I, uh, I should go." Willow turned away from Logan and began hurrying out of the garden. But of course, because she was Willow, she tripped on a root. She let out a little shriek as the ground came towards her, but just at the last moment, Willow stopped falling.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, why in such a hurry to get away from me?" Logan's breath was hot on her neck and Willow felt herself blush a brilliant red. "So, Miss Lark-"

"Willow," on instinct Willow corrected him. Logan's eyes widened in shock and Willow was worried that she shouldn't have corrected him, but then Logan smiled. A real smile, not a smirk.

It was the most beautiful thing Willow had ever seen, and for some reason it felt familiar. Willow turned fully around in Logan's arms and allowed herself to study him. His dirty blond hair was disheveled, but still managed to look perfect, a contrast to Willow's hair that she could never seem to tame. He wore navy trousers with an untucked collared shirt. Willow realized that the boy before her wasn't the perfect prince she saw on tv. No, he was just another person, and Willow smiled.

"Well, Willow, I have a feeling that you don't know your way back to the palace."

"True, and we couldn't have me tripping over any more roots," Willow smirked at Logan who raised his eyebrows, smirking as well.

"What do you suggest?"

Willow smiled devilishly, "I guess you'll just have to walk me all the way back to the dining room."

"You know, I'm actually a pretty fast paced guy, I like to move quickly into things," Logan leaned towards her- was he going to kiss her? Willow's face flushed at the thought and Logan smirked as if he had accomplished his goal. He stared intensely into her eyes, then suddenly pulled back, taking his heat with him. "Which... is why I like to move fast!"

He took off running out of the garden, "Race ya!"

Willow smiled at his childish behaviour and then yelled to him, "Hey! I don't have shoes!"

"That's your problem! Try to keep up!" Willow giggled, and then began to laugh as she chased Logan back to the palace. Willow had a good feeling about him, as well as a familiar one.